Final chapter: Central Valley puts end to EF’s milestone season
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Elizabeth Forward coach Mike Collodi hugs an emotional Chase Whatton after the team was presented with the runner-up trophy following a 35-0 loss to Central Valley in Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class 3A championship game at North Allegheny蘑菇视频 Newman Stadium.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Central Valley蘑菇视频 Sean FitzSimmons (50) tackles Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 DaVontay Brownfield (9) during Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class 3A championship game at North Allegheny蘑菇视频 Newman Stadium.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Central Valley running back Landon Alexander (23) follows the blocking of Hunter Viscuso (58) to pick up a chuck of his 221 rushing yards against Elizabeth Forward during Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class 3A championship game at North Allegheny蘑菇视频 Newman Stadium.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 Nico Mrvos leaps over Central Valley蘑菇视频 Stephon Hall to pick up extra yardage during Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class 3A championship game at North Allegheny蘑菇视频 Newman Stadium.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Central Valley蘑菇视频 Stephon Hall (25) tries to elude Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 Vernon Settles (22) during Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class 3A championship game at North Allegheny蘑菇视频 Newman Stadium.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Elizabeth Forward quarterback Zion White (5) throws a swing pass to Nico Mrvos (2) during Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class 3A championship game against Central Valley at North Allegheny蘑菇视频 Newman Stadium.
WEXFORD 鈥� Elizabeth Forward wanted to add another chapter to what has been a landmark season for its football program.
Central Valley put an abrupt ending to EF蘑菇视频 2020 story, though, with a convincing 35-0 victory in Friday night蘑菇视频 WPIAL Class 3A championship game at North Allegheny High School蘑菇视频 Newman Stadium.
Landon Alexander rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns and Central Valley蘑菇视频 defense shut down EF蘑菇视频 vaunted rushing attack to win its fourth district title and second in a row.
In a battle of Warriors it will be the CV version that will advance to next week蘑菇视频 PIAA semifinal game at Bedford.
Elizabeth Forward蘑菇视频 resume included a third conference title in four years, an undefeated regular season, a postseason win for the first time since 2000, a home playoff victory for the first time ever, and an appearance in a WPIAL final for the first time.
EF coach Mike Collodi expressed his gratitude to his players after the game.
鈥淚 just said how proud I am of them,鈥� Collodi said. 鈥淭hey accomplished things that have never been done in school history, keep their heads up.
鈥淥bviously this is not the way we wanted the night to turn out. But that蘑菇视频 a great team over there. They鈥檙e the No. 1 team in the state and the defending WPIAL champ for a reason. We made remarkable strides. We鈥檙e just not there yet. The better team won tonight. I told them we鈥檒l be back and we鈥檙e going to be better. I promise.鈥�
Central Valley improved to 10-0 and has invoked the mercy rule in each of its games this season. It didn鈥檛 look like CV Warriors in blue would dominate the game early on.
The third-seeded Warriors in white forced two punts in the opening quarter. Central Valley had only punted twice the entire season going into the game.
But the blue Warriors got on the board when they forced a fumble that was recovered by Justin Thompson at the EF 13 and Pitt recruit Stephon Hall scored from there on the next play.
Although Elizabeth Forward (8-1) couldn鈥檛 dent the scoreboard on its next two possessions, it kept Central Valley bottled up twice, thanks to punts by Andrew Smith that went out of bounds at the CV 1 and CV 7.
Central Valley punted back to EF the first time it was pinned down, but then went on a back-breaking, eight-play, 97-yard drive capped by Alexander蘑菇视频 first touchdown run of 10 yards to make it 14-0 with 7:37 left in the second quarter.
The blue Warriors imposed their will at that point, going on consecutive four-play, 50-plus-yard touchdown drives capped by scintillating Alexander runs of 41 and 31 yards to give CV a commanding 28-0 halftime lead.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 seen a back like him all year,鈥� Collodi said of Alexander. 鈥淲ith a host of other weapons they have, you can鈥檛 just key on one guy. Usually we sort of take away a team蘑菇视频 best option but when you鈥檝e got five of them it makes it a little difficult.鈥�
Central Valley quarterback Ameer Dudley蘑菇视频 3-yard touchdown run with 7:37 left in the third quarter finished the scoring and kicked in the mercy rule.
鈥淲e had to rely on our running game a little more,鈥� Central Valley coach Mark Lyons said. 鈥淚 thought we controlled the offensive and defensive lines. That allowed us to wear them down a little bit.鈥�
The white Warriors seemed to earn Lyons鈥� respect.
鈥淭hey were physical,鈥� Lyons said. 鈥淭hey battled us. But our guys put together a great defensive effort today.鈥�
That was thanks in large part to Sean FitzSimmons who recorded six tackles for losses, including four sacks, for Central Valley.
The white Warriors could do little on the ground. Zion White completed seven of 13 passes for 68 yards with four going to Nico Mrvos for 20 yards.
Dudley threw just enough to keep EF蘑菇视频 defense off balance, completing seven of 14 passes for 75 yards with three going to Myles Walker for 30 yards.
The blue Warriors鈥� experience from playing in past WPIAL finals may have given them an edge, according to Collodi.
鈥淲e鈥檙e on the biggest stage their is in Western Pennsylvania,鈥� Collodi said. 鈥淚 think we might鈥檝e been a little jittery at times. But the guys played hard. They fought.鈥�
It was the final game for EF senior and Bowling Green recruit Chase Whatton.
鈥淚t does mean something to play in this game,鈥� said an emotional Whatton. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 easy getting here. This is not the result at all we wanted. We preached all year to get to the WPIAL title and win it. Unfortunately that didn鈥檛 happen this year.
鈥淲e put the work in and we did it, we got here. Now the underclassmen need to take it a step further, keep lifting, keep getting strong, keep getting bigger and faster and come back here and win a WPIAL championship next year.鈥�
That there was a season at all in 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, seemed unlikely back in August. That wasn鈥檛 lost on Lyons.
鈥淚 want to commend the WPIAL for putting the plan together and sticking with it even when things started getting a little rough,鈥� he said, 鈥済iving these high school athletes an opportunity to compete.鈥�